CYMA Systems offers a broad array of business management programs for small and mid-sized businesses, including full GL, AR and AP, along with options for HR, payroll, inventory management, job costing and project management. Specialized solutions are also offered for government, nonprofit and healthcare accounting. The accountant-focused CYMA After-the-Fact and Reconciliation systems provide multi-client support for write-up, including journal entry corrections, batch postings, recurring transactions, bank reconciliation and payroll compliance.

Basic System Functions:

Strengths:

Exceptional customization options

Comprehensive module options with strong integration

Output to many formats

Broad reporting & financials generation

Potential Limitations:

Module-based pricing

No client portals

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CYMA runs on the Pervasive SQL database and offers an exceptionally customizable user interface that lets users select and organize the features, functions and links they want to display. The application also has a “white label” utility that allows it to be tailored to show the firm/company logo instead of CYMA’s branding. This home “eDesk” is built similarly to a web page and provides a browser-like navigation and feel. This personal page can also function as a Web browser, allowing users to add shortcuts and hyperlinks to favorite sites. However, despite its appearance, the program is not web-based. The home page can serve as a firm/company intranet, displaying news and information, and showing individualized alerts and notices of pending tasks and scheduled items.

In addition to the user-customized eDesk, the Control Center and Workflow screens offer access to all of the available program modules. Access rights can be set to restrict access to specific functions, clients or screen views. The system can be accessed by more than one user concurrently, supports any number of client businesses and can manage any number of bank accounts for those businesses. Charts of accounts for existing businesses can be used as templates for new companies, or vendor-supplied templates can be used for common industry account structures. Additional wizards, import guides and other tools assist with company setup.

The system’s work screens use smart data-entry fields and selection lists. Client, vendor and employee selection lists use spreadsheet views with search, sort and filter options. Many of the program’s screens also offer drag-and-drop rearrangement and customization of displayed fields.

Core Write-Up Features:

The program offers unlimited user-defined journals (e.g. CDJ, CRJ, PRJ, etc.), and journal entry screens include batch, recurring, allocated and auto-reversing posting options. The GL includes full control over descriptions, account types and sub-types, including 10 user-defined segments. Most modules, including GL, financials, payroll and other reports, provide quick drill down to transaction-level details and journal entries. CYMA offers quick selection and on-the-fly creation of accounts while entering journal entries. The application can also be set to automatically delete inactive accounts and permits retention of data from an unlimited number of historical years. Users can create 13 budgets per account with original and revised budgets.

The CYMA system includes consolidated GL capabilities, with unlimited levels of consolidation. Accounts can be combined in summary or detail. Parent company account structures can vary from the original company, and multiple child accounts can be mapped to a single parent company account.

The bank reconciliation module supports any number of bank accounts, records and contacts, and can import electronic bank statements via QFX and QFI formats. This tool can also manage multiple companies or divisions posting to a single GL. It features an integrated bank register and has more than 100 custom data fields for tracking data from financial institutions. Transactions can be cleared by date or check range, by deposits or credits, or individually cleared. Credit cards and other revolving accounts can also be managed.

The check writing features of the CYMA system are housed in the AP module. This segment provides support for unlimited vendors and contacts; offers the ability to print multiple separate checks per vendor; enables logos and electronic signatures for each company; and supports the attachment of documents, images and other data to any CYMA company. Checks can be printed to plain or preformatted stock. The system also includes support for outgoing EFT payments.

Live and after-the-fact processing and compliance functions in CYMA’s payroll module include support for any number of employee accounts; direct deposit, deductions and accruals management; benefits, third-party payments and unemployment. Payroll tax withholding schedules are updated quarterly or can be downloaded via the CYMA update website. These tables provide support for calculation, payment and compliance filing of federal taxes as well as payroll taxes for all states. The system prepares state and federal wage and information reports, including full W-2 and 1099 preparation. A variety of calculators and financial ratios can be accessed from the eDesk home page, including tools to assist with business valuation, cash flow management, buying versus leasing assets, amortization, break-even analysis, and working capital management.

Reporting & Financial Statements:

The program provides a comprehensive collection of more than 100 fully customizable reports available from the system manager, the GL and each of the modules, including cross-year and period reporting. Reports can be scheduled for automatic generation, and batch reporting tasks can be set across multiple companies. Full financial sets can be created in the system, with time and date stamps added to all income and balance sheets. When viewed on a computer connected to the company data file, reports have dynamic drilldown linking to underlying data. Reports can be saved to Word, Excel or Crystal Reports for additional customization, or output to PDF, HTML or XML for paperless management and digital sharing.

CYMA’s AR module includes templates for recurring invoices and client communication. Users can attach digital documents to any file and email invoices and statements from within the program. The receivables module can integrate with many third-party systems for electronic payment acceptance.

Import/Export/Integration:

All of CYMA’s modules integrate to automatically generate appropriate transactions and journal entries. As previously noted, the program can output reports and data into multiple formats, including CSV, XML and Microsoft Excel files, which allows for import into most payroll, accounting and tax systems. Its import utility can read and parse information stored in CSV and Excel formats. CYMA partners with TaxWorks to provide direct integration into its professional tax compliance system. The program integrates with third-party time clock systems, but CYMA does not offer client portal options.

Help & Support:

CYMA has task-specific Help, multiple right-click menu options and a built-in reference manual. Online support options include a knowledgebase, update center, tutorials, and links to consulting and partner companies. Paid technical support is on a per-use or subscription basis. The program supports all modern versions of Windows.

Summary & Pricing

The CYMA After-the-Fact module and the other core modules in the CYMA Financial Management System are comprehensive and offer abundant tools for managing client write-up processes, from maintaining and correcting journal entries and transactions, to bank reconciliation and financial statement generation. Additional e-tools and solid customization options add to the power of the program, which is geared toward firms managing mid-sized and larger clients. A package with appropriate write-up focused modules would cost about $1,700 per year for a license supporting up to five concurrent users.